May 10, 2010 – The National Mediation Board (NMB) announced it is publishing in the Federal Register its final change to rules governing representation elections conducted under the Railway Labor Act.
The NMB’s final ruling, which takes effect 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register; allows airline and rail workers to elect unions under the same democratic standards used in other union and political elections in America: a majority of those who cast a vote will decide the outcome. No longer will non-voting employees be counted as NO votes. No longer will employers be able to simply keep voter turnout low as a means to trample on employees’ right to freely choose whether to unionize.
“Thousands of Machinists union members and hundreds of members of Congress told the NMB that it was time to end its 75-year practice of imposing a viewpoint on people who, either by choice or by chance, do not participate in representation elections,” said IAM General Vice President Robert Roach, Jr. “IAM attorneys will evaluate this new rule to determine its impact on several upcoming elections in the air and rail industry.”
“This change from the NMB is long overdue. Elections should be democratic and allow for the majority to decide. TCU is pleased with the ruling,” said TCU International President Bob Scardelletti.
Click here to view the full text of the rule change.
